About a decade and a half ago, I was in the market for a computer. This was a time when I didn’t really understand computer specifications, but a number of people I talked to and the internet told me it should have S Video cable output, so I went for it.

In reality, I never used it. Then again, that is not the port’s fault. Merely my lack of ever wanting to or needing to stream video out of my computer. The S video cable is also used for security cameras, something that I didn’t know back then.

Audio Video Cables Come In A Number Of Different Types, For A Variety Of Purposes:

Each of them has its unique characteristics that determine the speed with which they transfer data, whether the audio is balanced or unbalanced, what equipment they can connect to directly, etc.

Another gadget that I bought once was a pair of headphones. With it, they gave me a 3.5mm plug, in case I ever wanted to convert the 2.5mm connector to a 3.5mm one. That one did come into use, I daresay. 2017 became the year that the 3.5mm jack began its slow, painful death. The convenience of plugging in a pair of headphones, into ANY device and getting personal audio is unparalleled by the bluetooth headphones. They are also convenient, but the 3.5mm audio jack doesn’t ask you to charge them, work with all devices, don’t cost a fortune compared to their value, and you probably have a few lying around.

XLR to RCA cable has a more special, more niche requirement. While XLR is mainly used for professional equipment and RCA for home entertainment, XLR is used for microphones, so both of them come together in the XLR to RCA cable for a karaoke machine.

So how would you use these cables right now, as our lives have moved inside our houses for the most part?

Let’s Go Through A Typical Weekend Usage Of Audio Video Cables:

• Since you are home, you are less likely to need to monitor your house via security cameras. But if you have offices that you are not going to anymore, you should definitely keep a check on those, with a decent security camera, motion sensors, etc. The S video cable can help you out there, as well as a number of security equipment that can directly feed the video to your phone.
• The need for entertainment on a tv screen has never been higher. There is no more going out and every time we are not working, sleeping or reading, we want to consume content on the tv. So you can connect an HDMI cable to your computer and tv and stream content from it, or plug in a casting device to do the same thing wirelessly.
• However, this might get old. So one weekend, you can set up a karaoke machine, complete with microphone and amplifiers, with a bunch of cables like the previously mentioned XLR to RCA. Start a video call with your friends and family and have a good old karaoke night!
• A quiet Saturday afternoon with the headphones plugged in your laptop and a good movie is like nothing else. Of course, you can use the TV but you might have other people using it. If your city allows you to go on runs, you can also go for a quick jog around the neighborhood with a good workout playlist. Of course, this can come in handy even with home workouts.

Apart from a fun weekend, if you are looking to learn something new while being home, like audio video editing, you can make use of all these cables. Best to use cables instead of going with a wireless version for this because sometimes the signal can lag and thus give an unintended result.

If you are looking for cables for any of these purposes, SF Cables stocks them all. We can even consult you about which one works best with the equipment you currently have.

Along with cables, we also have bluetooth speakers, HDMI cords, adapters for audio video equipment like DVI to HDMI, VGA to HDMI, etc., in case you have older gadgets that you want to work with.

Source: https://www.sfcable.com/blog/audio-video-cable-stay-at-home-edition

A TV in 2020 has one port that it absolutely cannot get enough of the HDMI port. Let's get to know it today.

HDMI is the acronym of High Definition Multimedia Interface and it came to be in 2003! The best thing about it then was that it did away with the need for separate cables for audio and video. Since then, there is more to it and the best hdmi cables are ones that give you crisp video, with immersive audio, faster than you can blink.

HDMI has become the standard, replacing all kinds of previously popular audio-video standards.

Why has this happened? What is so great about the HDMI cable?

Let's look at some of the things that make it a popular choice:

Superior quality data transfer:

The best HDMI cables can transfer data in high quality without any compromise. With evolving versions of the cable, the reliability, and speed of this transfer also improve. The high resolution that it supports, makes the picture on the TV look good. Your TV is only as good as your HDMI cable allows it to be, after all.

End to end security:

The gadgets that are actively using the HDMI cable or even HDMI adapters can access the data that it is transferring. One cannot access it remotely.

Input = Output:

With the HDMI cable, the quality of data you input is the output you get to see. There is no compromise and no loss in the cable. Since the standard is digital, the loss of data in analog to digital conversion does not come into play here. This makes them an ideal choice for transmitting anything in high definition.

Cable management:

Who loves to detangle a mess of wires from behind a TV? The answer is no one. One cable for audio and video dramatically cuts down on the wires that you have to deal with on a regular basis.

Since HDMI cables are available in varying lengths, you can get the length you need for your setup and optimize your cable management even better. One cable that doesn't even dangle over the table? Yes, please!

Conversion to different things:

Since not everything uses an HDMI port, you can use several hdmi adapters for connecting to a DVI port, a DisplayPort or even a USB port. The adapters come in handy for sticky situations like that.

The next question that we must ask is where to use the HDMI cable?

Workstation:

If you are setting up a workstation, you should connect your monitor(s) to your CPU with HDMI cables. This will ensure high definition, no lag output, which is perfect for editing video and audio if that is your requirement. It is also good for any intensive development-related work.

Entertainment setup:

For an entertainment setup, you need elements that give you an immersive experience. You need a TV that can support high resolutions like 4K HDR10+. Additionally, you need a soundbar because TV speakers are generally terrible. For this, HDMI ARC comes in handy and can give you your money's worth.

Gaming setup:

The one place where data lag can affect the result negatively is gaming. Imagine you are playing an intense multiplayer game and your video lags! You'd be dead before you even see where you are going! With the latest HDMI cables, you will always be one step ahead, therefore minimizing death risks.

You cannot simply hope to get the resolution that your TV promises unless you use the HDMI cable that is compatible with it. With different versions available, make sure to check the version that will likely work best for you and then buy it.

There are several reasons for this cable's popularity and the universal appeal that it has. This serves as a compact list of a few of those. The HDMI standard is here to stay this decade, that's for sure. So if you are investing in a setup, make sure to get the latest versions even though they might be slightly pricey right now.

Source: https://www.sooperarticles.com/shopping-articles/electronics-articles/why-hdmi-cable-gives-you-2020-display-1764116.html

The HDMI cable solved a lot of problems. It removed the need for a number of cables, making cable management a cakewalk. There are now versions of this cable, each iteration better than the last. This is where the confusion comes in.

Last week, at CES, you saw a lot of display manufacturers talk about innovations in display technology and how this year’s modular TVs are going to be everywhere. But it is not yet as simple as bringing home a TV and playing high-resolution content on it.

Even if you have the right cable for it, not all content is ready for the kind of promises that these TVs are making.

What are the things that you are most likely to hear this year about TVs? And how you should take it with a grain of salt.

Screen Resolution

QLED panels trump OLED panels. Quantum displays are here. And more companies will start making those. 4K resolution is tame now so the move towards 8K and 10K has increased. Along with that, so has the emphasis on higher refresh rates. Everyone wants to enjoy the kind of refresh rates while watching a movie as they do on their gaming monitors. So, 8K TVs with 120Hz refresh rates are something that you might end up seeing.

HDR

One of the features that TV manufacturers boast about, High Dynamic Range. This is what gives you bright highlights and punchier colors. The latest standard of it is HDR 10+. The idea of dynamic HDR is to give an accurate output per frame rather than decide an output range for the whole show. This is, of course, better because shows and movies have varying scenes in terms of brightness and color.

Connectivity Options

The push for wireless has increased now more than ever. But you will still need to connect a few things to your TV. There are a fair few ports that you will still need. HDMI 2.1, HDMI 2.0, USB, DisplayPort, and even RCA ports. With these ports, you will also need to make sure you have the right cables. While the HDMI version is always downward compatible, you cannot simply use older cables to get the best results. You need an HDMI 2.1 cable, as well as HDMI 2.0 cable with these ports.

Sound Options

TVs will boast of Dolby Atmos. In 2020, that is not quite as fanciful as it used to be. Televisions have a tendency of sounding okay, and speaker sets have always given a better experience until now. So, it remains to see if this year’s TVs are going to attempt to one-up the speaker industry or not. But the odds are in favor of the speaker.

Gimmicks To Be Careful About

With every piece of technology, there are caveats. There are TVs that are as thin as a debit card, TVs that roll out of sight, and modular TVs that you can arrange all over a wall. The question is if you actually need that. Are you ever going to use that feature once the novelty wears off? And more importantly, how long will that TV last when its structure is flexible?

All consumer goods come down to price, but with technology that is this premium, it comes down to worth more than just the price. Is the price justifiable? Is the technology still developing but the marketing of living in the future done too well?

If you are in the market for a television, this year is good a year as any to get one. Even more so because the HDMI 2.1 cable that came out last year succeeding the HDMI 2.0 cable, will actually be in use now. The port will be in TVs beyond just the flagship ones, and it might just be relatively cheaper.

Display tech will change, the HDMI cable will live on, at least for the near future. SFCable has your cable needs covered no matter the variant of all cables under the sun. But it is important to know which one works the best with your equipment and we will help you figure that out.

Source: https://www.sfcable.com/blog/new-year-new-tv-specs

A TV in 2020 has one port that it absolutely cannot get enough of the HDMI port. Let's get to know it today.

HDMI is the acronym of High Definition Multimedia Interface and it came to be in 2003! The best thing about it then was that it did away with the need for separate cables for audio and video. Since then, there is more to it and the best hdmi cables are ones that give you crisp video, with immersive audio, faster than you can blink.

HDMI has become the standard, replacing all kinds of previously popular audio-video standards.

Why has this happened? What is so great about the HDMI cable?

Let's look at some of the things that make it a popular choice:

Superior quality data transfer:

The best HDMI cables can transfer data in high quality without any compromise. With evolving versions of the cable, the reliability, and speed of this transfer also improve. The high resolution that it supports, makes the picture on the TV look good. Your TV is only as good as your HDMI cable allows it to be, after all.

End to end security:

The gadgets that are actively using the HDMI cable or even hdmi adapters can access the data that it is transferring. One cannot access it remotely.

Input = Output:

With the HDMI cable, the quality of data you input is the output you get to see. There is no compromise and no loss in the cable. Since the standard is digital, the loss of data in analog to digital conversion does not come into play here. This makes them an ideal choice for transmitting anything in high definition.

Cable management:

Who loves to detangle a mess of wires from behind a TV? The answer is no one. One cable for audio and video dramatically cuts down on the wires that you have to deal with on a regular basis.

Since HDMI cables are available in varying lengths, you can get the length you need for your setup and optimize your cable management even better. One cable that doesn't even dangle over the table? Yes, please!

Conversion to different things:

Since not everything uses an HDMI port, you can use several HDMI adapters for connecting to a DVI port, a DisplayPort or even a USB port. The adapters come in handy for sticky situations like that.

The next question that we must ask is where to use the HDMI cable?

Workstation:

If you are setting up a workstation, you should connect your monitor(s) to your CPU with HDMI cables. This will ensure high definition, no lag output, which is perfect for editing video and audio if that is your requirement. It is also good for any intensive development-related work.

Entertainment setup:

For an entertainment setup, you need elements that give you an immersive experience. You need a TV that can support high resolutions like 4K HDR10+. Additionally, you need a soundbar because TV speakers are generally terrible. For this, HDMI ARC comes in handy and can give you your money's worth.

Gaming setup:

The one place where data lag can affect the result negatively is gaming. Imagine you are playing an intense multiplayer game and your video lags! You'd be dead before you even see where you are going! With the latest HDMI cables, you will always be one step ahead, therefore minimizing death risks.

You cannot simply hope to get the resolution that your TV promises unless you use the HDMI cable that is compatible with it. With different versions available, make sure to check the version that will likely work best for you and then buy it.

There are several reasons for this cable's popularity and the universal appeal that it has. This serves as a compact list of a few of those. The HDMI standard is here to stay this decade, that's for sure. So if you are investing in a setup, make sure to get the latest versions even though they might be slightly pricey right now.

Source: https://www.sooperarticles.com/shopping-articles/electronics-articles/why-hdmi-cable-gives-you-2020-display-1764116.html

The debate about digital and analog is hardly new. Digital methods and gadgets are more convenient whereas analog methods are more authentic and less lossy. This debate is especially yappier when it comes to audio.

Audiophiles will tell you that there is no better way to listen to music than vinyl records and tech enthusiasts will tell you the convenience of wireless headphones is unparalleled. The industry is paying homage to retro tech nowadays by bringing back certain design elements and a general discourse about it. This has led to analog getting some attention that was missing for the last few years as the industry was moving fast and breaking things.

The missing headphone jack from phones stands out in stark contrast to the Walkman’s 40th anniversary. Vloggers have made the idea of having a vinyl record player romantic, and exercising with music streaming from your watch to wireless earphones, practical.

Visual media consumption has changed and with it, the ways of consuming it. Televisions have better display technology but don’t always have great audio output. This is where you can experiment with speakers. Even today, RCA ports, the gold standard from yesteryears are available on TVs for you to have an analog component in your home theatre system.

When buying a new TV, you need to pay attention to the possibilities of audio enhancement you can have with it, as the inbuilt speakers are hardly ever good. You can go with, HDMI or RCA, digital or analog. Let’s explore both of them:

HDMI

High Definition Multimedia Interface is the standard all OEMs use for their TVs. It uses a single port and therefore a single HDMI cable to get both audio and video to the display from an external streaming box or device.

There is also a special type of HDMI standard that comes with an audio return channel, called HDMI ARC. This allows the audio to go to an external speaker, which gives you a wide room to experiment with what speakers or soundbars you could use with it.

Additionally, having one cable makes it easier to manage the cable clutter that can happen. Televisions also provide more than one HDMI port, so you always have more ports available to plug something else into. You can choose to connect one streaming box with an HDMI cable and a soundbar into an HDMI ARC port.

It’s the obvious solution for someone who wants a no-hassle setup to get their favorite TV shows and movies to the biggest screen in their house. You don’t need to be an expert to connect something with this cable. Its beauty lies in its simplicity.

RCA

On the analog side, there are RCA cables for audio and video. RCA cable is not a single port, single cable solution. Audio uses two cables and ports and video uses one RCA cable. Audio can either use just one, or add a second one for stereo sound.

This setup is useful especially when you want to keep using your older speaker with a newer television. The speaker will have RCA ports built in which you can leverage. The only thing that changes in your setup is your display when you use RCA cables. It can add more years to your speakers that otherwise would have gone to waste with this upgrade of your TV.

Not only does this cable extend the life of your speakers, but they are also easily available and don’t have varying standards. HDMI has standards, so you have to make sure to get the right one to get the results that your TV promises.

HDMI + RCA - The Ideal Setup

The choice of how you outfit your television is up to you and it isn’t quite as binary as digital and analog if you don’t want it to be. You can use both at the same time. Plug in the streaming device with an HDMI cable for an immersive display and external speakers via RCA cables for surround sound. You can get more than just the main and stereo sound with RCA, which you should take advantage of.

Both of these cables are simple to find and easy enough to use. You should check which ports you have on your TV and what standards they support. Then, you can order the required length of wire. The shorter the cable, the fewer issues it will face when passing a signal.

SF Cable stocks cables for all your multimedia needs. Just pick the variant you need and you are good to go for a top-notch movie experience.

Source: https://www.sfcable.com/blog/hdmi-rca-make-ideal-entertainment-setup/